The moon was nearly full, and after nightfall a few of the Indians suddenly held an improvised dance for us in front of our house.  There were four men, a small boy, and two young women or grown girls.  Two of the men had been doing some work for the commission, and were dressed, one completely and one partially, in ordinary clothes.  Two of the men and the boy were practically naked, and the two young women were absolutely so.  All of them danced in a circle, without a touch of embarrassment or impropriety.  The two girls kept hold of each other’s hands throughout, dancing among the men as modestly as possible, and with the occasional interchange of a laugh or jest, in as good taste and temper as in any dance in civilization.  The dance consisted in slowly going round in a circle, first one way then the other, rhythmically beating time with the feet to the music of the song they were chanting.  The chants—­there were three of them, all told—­were measured and rather slowly uttered melodies, varied with an occasional half-subdued shrill cry.  The women continually uttered a kind of long-drawn wailing or droning; I am not enough of a musician to say whether it was an overtone or the sustaining of the burden of the ballad.  The young boy sang better than any of the others.  It was a strange and interesting sight to see these utterly wild, friendly savages circling in their slow dance, and chanting their immemorial melodies, in the brilliant tropical moonlight, with the river rushing by in the background, through the lonely heart of the wilderness.

The Indians stayed with us, feasting, dancing, and singing until the early hours of the morning.  They then suddenly and silently disappeared in the darkness, and did not return.  In the morning we discovered that they had gone off with one of Colonel Rondon’s dogs.  Probably the temptation had proved irresistible to one of their number, and the others had been afraid to interfere, and also afraid to stay in or return to our neighborhood.  We had not time to go after them; but Rondon remarked that as soon as he again came to the neighborhood he would take some soldiers, hunt up the Indians, and reclaim the dog.  It has been his mixture of firmness, good nature, and good judgment that has enabled him to control these bold, warlike savages, and even to reduce the warfare between them and the Parecis.  In spite of their good nature and laughter, their fearlessness and familiarity showed how necessary it was not to let them get the upper hand.  They are always required to leave all their arms a mile or two away before they come into the encampment.  They are much wilder and more savage, and at a much lower cultural level, than the Parecis.

In the afternoon of the day following our arrival there was a heavy rain-storm which drove into the unglazed windows, and here and there came through the roof and walls of our daub-and-wattle house.  The heat was intense and there was much moisture in this valley.  During the downpour I looked out at the dreary little houses, showing through the driving rain, while the sheets of muddy water slid past their door-sills; and I felt a sincere respect for the lieutenant and his soldiers who were holding this desolate outpost of civilization.  It is an unhealthy spot; there has been much malarial fever and beriberi—­an obscure and deadly disease.